What is the Blob? Different Types of Blobs

If you’ve been checking my site out for a while, you have seen me writing about the Blob quite a bit.

In case you are not familiar with the Blob, here is a run-down…

Richard Sorin Lifting The Blob

The Blob is half of a 100-lb York Dumbbell that has the sloping sides. The first Original Blob belongs to Richard Sorin, and it is just the first one that had broken off, as far as I know. That is The Blob.

A Fatman, Original-Style Blob

Original Style Blobs are half-100’s that were produced during the same era and have the same dimensions and shape as that first one that Richard named. These are also called Fatman Blobs.

New/Next Generation or Second Generation Blobs

The York company changed the shape of their dumbbells slightly making the non-handle side slightly straighter. This new type of Blob is often called a Next Generation Blob, Second Generation Blob or something like that. They are easier to lift with this straighter edge.

A Legacy Blob

York stopped making these Blobs in 2004 or 2005, and did not produce dumbbells with slopes again until about 2007, which are called Legacy Blobs. This time one side was even straighter still and lifting them with the thumb on the super-straight side makes them much easier than the Next Generation Blobs.

The Blob50

There is also a piece out there called a Blob50 which a fellow named Gordon Visecky got produced from a cast of a Blob. They are marked on the top with Blob50 instead of the York or 100 that is found on actual York-produced 100-lb dumbbells. The Blob50’s vary in difficulty because some are smoother than others, but they are still quite challenging.

Blob Clone

Finally, a fellow named Chris Bowman replicated an actual Original Style Fatman York Blob in 2009 and came out with the Clone or Blob Clone. I own one of these and mine is a pretty accurate shape-replica of the Fatman style Blobs, but it is also quite a bit heavier.

I believe I am the only one to have lifted the Clone I own. I know Dave Thornton tried after GGC 2009, but I don’t think he got it. Some of the Clones came out lop-sided, such as the one that Dave Thornton owns. As far as I know only he, Chad Woodall and myself have lifted it, but we all placed our thumb on the very rough portion of it, which made it much easier. I want to give that one a try again so bad!

So, there you have the complete run-down of all the Blobs that I know of. Originals Blobs/Fatman Blobs, Next Generation Blobs, Legacy Blobs, Blob50’s and Blob Clones.

Here are some of my past videos lifting some of these Blob variations…

Any of them. They are all awesome for training the hands, although many will not be able to lift them from the beginning. If you do any Blob or Block Weight training, ease into it, as you can mess your thumb up pretty bad in Block Weight lifting positions.

Where do you go to get one and how much do they cost?

First off, you need to find someone willing to part with one of these beauties. They are pretty dear.

You will pay out your ass for a Fatman, unless you find somebody who has no idea what they have. The price will be pretty high still with the Next Generation Blobs, too.

Even Blob50’s and Clones are pretty expensive, in the $100+ range easy, so they are pretty high-priced items.

If you want one, I suggest going to jails, old gyms, yard sales and flea markets, looking on Craig’s List and eBay, and checking out forums. None of these items are cheap unless you find someone who is quite frankly clueless about what they have.

I hope this has been helpful. Believe me, my hands are strongest when I am doing lots of Blob lifting, but don’t think you only need some form of a Blob to get the benefit of the training – any Block Weight style implement will do for awesome gains!

Why not make the blob shape out of wood/fiberglass etc and then hang a few metal disks at the bottom? Is more versatile for training because you can vary the load. Also it is cheaper than getting an original blob which is only good for one weight.

In the sense of grip strength development, you absolutely could do that. The main thing is, however, that people go after actual blobs to own a piece of history and compare their strength against many others who have tried.